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Primary Care
Primary Care with Compassion
We’ve all been there. You wait weeks to get an appointment with your doctor, travel all the way there, only see the doctor for five minutes, and leave wondering if they actually understand your concerns.
Thrive Healthcare is here for you. Owned and operated by a family nurse practitioner, Thrive hears often that patients feel heard and supported in their healthcare journey. We spend more time with our patients in order to develop a plan of care that fits their lifestyle and needs. There is no one-size-fits-all in healthcare, and by using a multifaceted approach—evaluating and treating the root cause, accounting for differences in lifestyles and beliefs, using natural therapies in combination with medicine when appropriate—we find our patients are happier and healthier.
Primary Care Services
Well Visits and Physicals:
All ages accepted – school/sports physicals, PAP smear, screening tests, nutrition counseling.
Illness and Injury Care:
From the flu to broken bones, and everything in between. We can often see minor illness and injuries within 24 hours.
Managing Chronic Illness:
Prescribing daily medications, adjusting dosage, referring and coordinating complex care with specialists.
Mental Health:
Evaluate, diagnose and treat anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD and more.
So what exactly is a board certified, full practice authority nurse practitioner?
Full Practice authority laws and regulations in Illinois (and many other states) enable nurse practitioners (NPs) to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification, without physician oversight. NPs can evaluate patients, diagnose, order, and interpret diagnostic tests, and initiate and manage treatments (including prescribing medications and controlled substances) under the licensing authority of the State Board of Nursing.
Here are answers to a few questions we are often asked:
What kind of training did you complete?
An undergraduate degree (4 years) in nursing, followed by a Master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner with extensive clinical requirements (3 years) is the minimum to be a nurse practitioner. In Illinois, after completion of these requirements an additional 4,000 hour (2 years) clinical residency with a physician is required to obtain full practice authority. At Thrive all of that education is also backed up with an extensive amount of clinical experience—15 years in emergency medicine, 5 years flight nursing at Flight for Life McHenry, 3 years of IV therapy, 4 years of ICU nursing, and 5 years of medical aesthetics.
What is the difference between you and a primary care doctor?
Doctors and nurse practitioners differ in the way they were taught. Doctors’ training mainly focuses on disease and diagnosis. Nurse practitioners are taught to focus on the patient as a whole person. We often receive comments on how different our bedside manner is and how much patients love it! There is little difference beyond that, and patients should see whomever they are most comfortable with. There is nothing a primary care doctor can do in the office that a full practice authority NP can’t do; so it really comes down to you, the patient. If seeing someone with the letters MD after their name is really important to you, then that is where you need to be. First and foremost, you need to trust the person responsible for your healthcare and feel that you have a good relationship with them.
Will my insurance let me see a nurse practitioner as my primary?
Yes, you can designate a full practice authority NP as your primary care provider and your insurance will provide the same coverage.
What do I call you, Doctor? NP?
I was raised to treat everyone equally and with respect. I often feel that titles separate us and are designed to make me feel important, and you less so, which is completely false. What you call me doesn’t diminish my background, education or experience, so please, Chelsey is fine!